As the end of the year approaches, it's important to make sure you're not leaving any money on the table when it comes to your workplace benefits. If you don't take the right steps now, you could lose your chance to maximize your savings, so run through this list of must-do tips before Dec. 31.

The benefit of a Flexible Spending Account is obvious: Using pre-tax dollars to pay for health or child care expenses can save you a fortune. The risk is that if you don't spend the cash, you lose it. But you may have more time to do that than you thought.

Chalk it up to the nation's lingering economic malaise: More Americans this year plan to sock some of their tax refund away in savings. If you're among them, here are a few smart ways to stash that cash.

Thanks to confusing and often misunderstood rules surrounding child-care tax breaks, the author has overpaid Uncle Sam to the tune of $1,000, missing out on $200 in tax savings each year for the past half-decade. Read on to avoid her mistake -- unless you enjoy filing mounds of amended returns.

Open enrollment season is upon us, when employees can chose again from among the smorgasbord of benefit options offered by their employers. To help you ensure you're getting the most bang for your health care buck -- and not paying more than you need to -- we went to the experts for advice.

It's a guarantee in our health-care system: You may get better or you may not, but what you will get either way is paperwork: insurance claims, bills, receipts, and reams of forms that stand between you and the money you're owed. Recently, a new industry has sprung up to help you conquer the paper and recover your cash.